Son Gohan: A Warrior Beyond Goku
by Mr. Narrative-30 Days of Iron
Summary: In a timeline where Vegeta and the Z-Fighters couldn't help Gohan in his Kamehameha clash against Super Perfect Cell, a threat by the Bio Android awakened an inner power that caused him to surpass his own limits. After a final request from his Father, Gohan decided that he wasn't going to let his potential go to waste and become the Warrior he was always meant to be.


_**Son Gohan: A Warrior Beyond Goku**_

_**In memory of Kobe Bean Bryant (1978-2020)**_

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_**Chapter I: Epiphany **_

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The world was rumbling and shaking. The skies were overcast with darkness. The clouds covered the sun as the whole planet seemed to be in utter destruction. The Planet Earth and its inhabitants lingered between life and death. Both of their fates depended on one single outcome. The outcome that would dictate not only the fate of the world, but the universe as a whole.

The Fate of the Universe, of course, depended on the outcome of a Battle. A Legendary battle that was shaking the entire solar system and beyond. This was not a battle. It was a _War_. A war that not only tested one's strength, but their wit, speed, heart, will, passion, and motivation. This was no ordinary battle. It was unlike everything that came before it. Not one single battle in history came close to the magnitude of the one in question.

It was currently May 26, Age 767. The battle was taking place in a barren wasteland, one completely away from civilization. But even so, all of the civilizations could feel the vibrations of the ultimate fight. The spectators in the area could only watch as the beams of two Titans collided, fighting for dominance.

One one side was the Bio Android created by Dr. Gero. Perfect Cell. His one and only goal was to absorb Android 17 and 18, and prove to the world of his perfection by defeating the strongest fighters that the universe had to offer. After achieving his Perfect Form, he made short work of the Prince of all Saiyans, Vegeta, and his son Trunks. He then looked towards what he thought would be his final opponent and test. Son Goku: The Hope Of the Universe and Earth's Greatest Defender. But as he would soon find out, that did not exactly turn out to be the case…

One the other side was Son Gohan, the son of Goku. Before Cell had reached his Perfect Form, him and his Father entered the Room of Spirit and Time in hopes of ascending past a Super Saiyan and breaking the shell in order to meet brand new heights. Gohan was confused as to why his Father would want to bring him into the Room of Spirit of Time with him as he thought he would only get in the way of his Father's training. He wasn't even a Super Saiyan yet, and his base form was weaker than his Father's. He didn't want Goku to get distracted from his training to have to focus on him. But Goku insisted as he would make it his mission to get Gohan to transform into a Super Saiyan catch up with him in no time.

And he did. Gohan had exceeded his Father's expectations with his progress in the Room of Spirit and Time. He became the youngest Super Saiyan ever. It took a little bit, but he was able to do it. And that's when the real training began. Gohan told his Father to push him farther than even Piccolo did. And the Hero of Earth gladly obliged.

In the year they trained together, Gohan had learned many things about his Father and even himself. For one, Goku wasn't as dumb as people make him out to be. He was actually a genius when it came to martial arts and training. Goku taught Gohan a lot of tricks and training strategies to increase efficiency. Goku was happy that he had the chance to personally train his son. When Gohan was born, Chichi forbade Goku from training him at all as she only wanted for him to be a scholar. This saddened Goku as he knew Gohan had the potential to become a great fighter. Goku didn't want any of that to go to waste but Chichi kept on persisting, and with the warm heart he had, he couldn't find it within himself to go against his wife's wishes.

But in the Room of Spirit and Time, Gohan was all his. And he made the best of the year he had with his son. He wanted him to live up to his potential and to even surpass him. And he did.

When they left the Room of Spirit, Gohan came out stronger than ever. Stronger than his dad. Even if he didn't realize it at the time. It took a little push by Goku for Gohan to muster up the courage to fight Cell. And he kept on holding himself back. It wasn't until watching the Cell Juniors mercilessly beat up the Z-Fighters and a speech by Android 16 and watching his head get stomped to pieces that truly pushed the young Saiyan Hybrid to his breaking point.

He then transformed into a Super Saiyan 2. The true ascension of Super Saiyan.

"These are your last minutes boy! So try to make them count!"

Cell laughed evilly as he kept on pushing Gohan back with his Kamehameha wave. It was slowly overtaking the son of Goku's attack, bit by bit. It wasn't long until Gohan loses the battle.

"NO CHANCE! YOU HAVE NO CHANCE!" Cell yelled as he put even more power into the blast.

Gohan grunted as his feet was dragged back due to force of the blast. He struggled as he tried to push Cell back with his own Kamehameha wave, but he only had one arm and had suffered major injuries and lost a lot of energy when he took a blast from Cell to save Vegeta's life.

Gohan was really hating himself right now. If he only he hadn't been so arrogant and cocky, he wouldn't be in this mess right now. He had it. He had ascended past Super Saiyan and achieved a form that not even Goku or Vegeta could dream of. His power dwarfed everyone else's. He could have finished Cell in the blink of an eye without a second thought. But no, he had to make him suffer first. And that mistake cost him. It cost him his Father's life. And when Cell regenrated from his suicide explosion, he came back even stronger. However, he still wasn't near Gohan's level in Super Saiyan 2, but that didn't matter as before they could start fighting, Vegeta had to go and bombard Cell with so many blasts. He was angry due to him killing Trunks.

And when Cell came out of it unscathed, he was about to kill Vegeta if it wasn't for Gohan taking the blast for him. But that dropped Gohan's power to half and it rendered his left arm totally useless.

At that point Gohan had given up. He had his chance to save the day and he blew it. All the faith his Father put in him was for nothing. His sacrifice had been for nothing. His training had been for nothing. All of it had been for nothing because they were all going to die because of Gohan's own failure.

Vegeta had even apologized and called Gohan by his name. He even knew that it was all over.

But Goku talked to Gohan telepathically and motivated his son to give it one last shot. One last Kamehameha wave to finish off Cell for good. He already achieved a power that not even Goku was able to attain. So why should Gohan doubt himself now?

Gohan decided that it was all or nothing and fired off a Kamehame with his remaining arm at Cell. When the two beams clashed, the energy it created shook the solar system and beyond. The people in the immediate area had to get away from the two or they would get caught in the blast as well.

The Z-Warriors saw that Gohan wasn't at 100% and wanted to help him out. But they couldn't even get anywhere near the clash as they would get blown to bits due to their inferior powers. They didn't bother shooting blasts at Cell either as they knew that they would only get in the way and only be an annoyance rather than any help.

"I CAN FEEL YOU SLIPPING!" Cell shouted as he kept on overtaking Gohan.

"Damn it…. I've been letting people down my whole life. If only I hadn't let the power get to my head!" Gohan yelled in frustration as he felt his energy dwindling. 'If I was at full power, I would easily fondle Cell in a minute. Even with his Zenkai boost!'

"No Gohan! Curse our powerlessness!" Piccolo yelled in worry. He wanted to help out his friend but he was too weak. He cursed himself. Why did it have to end this way?

Goku sucked his teeth as he saw his Son's resolve beginning to falter. "GOHAN! Raise it higher! You can win this one! Just hang in there! You haven't used all of your power yet ! Let it rip!"

Gohan grit his teeth, "I'm doing my best, Dad! I can't do anymore! I'm too weak!"

"No you are NOT! You are stronger than all of us! You're holding back! Trying not to destroy the planet! Let go! The dragon balls can fix it!" Goku shouted from Snakeway. "You have so much more power inside of you. Just let it out!"

"I can't, Dad. I don't know how!"

"Release it Gohan! Release everything! Remember all of the pain he's caused. The people he's hurt. Now make that your POWER!"

"SAY GOODBYE!" Cell yelled as he poured even more power into the Kamehameha. Gohan was shocked at just how much power Cell was emitting.

Vegeta looked on from a cliff on the ongoing power. He cursed himself, "Damn it! If it wasn't for me, Gohan wouldn't be having so much trouble right now. He would have blasted Cell to pieces!" Vegeta was about to go in and blast Cell but then dropped to his base form.

"No… I can't. I'm sorry Gohan. But I'm too weak. I don't have the courage within me to blast him. I've failed you. I've failed my race. I've failed Trunks. I couldn't avenge him. And now because of me, you can't avenge Kakarot. Damn it all to hell!" Vegeta fell to his knees as he engorsed himself into his own self pity.

"What's the matter Gohan? You already have all the power you need. Just bring it out!" Goku yelled.

"I can't. I can't keep this up. It's too much for me to handle. I'm just a kid! I haven't changed! Not at all!" Gohan cried out as he closed his eyes in misery.

"Will you stop attacking yourself? I don't know where you got it in your head that there something wrong with you, because there's not! You saved my life and our friends' lives so many times! And you're going to do it again. RIGHT NOW!"

Cell frowned, "What on Earth are you mumbling about? Chanting a little prayer before you die?"

"Dad, I don't think I can do this. He's so much stronger and it's all my fault. It was my cowardice. Then my hubris. And now my weakness. We're all gonna die-"

"Gohan… I want to tell you something. If you don't do this, Piccolo is gonna die. Your mom is gonna die. Everyone. Is. Gonna. Die. But before all that… if you don't do this, you're gonna die. And you're better than that! You're better than him! You're better than ME!" Goku shouted.

"But… but-"

Gohan was cut off by the laughter of Cell. "Why do you keep on talking to yourself? Have you really gone mental? It doesn't matter. After I'm done with you, I'm going to have fun and take my time killing your friends and everyone you love. I wonder Gohan, how is your mother Chichi doing? Does she know what you're up to right now? Does she know that you just caused the death of her husband and that she's about to lose her precious child? Maybe I should pay her a visit…"

Gohan's eyes widened in horror.

"Wh-What did you say?"

Cell smirked. He knew he struck a nerve. Just like he had hoped.

"You heard me brat. I'm going to pay your mother a visit. And after that maybe I should pay your friend a Bulma a visit in Capsule Corp. Can't have her making another time machine can we?"

Gohan's eyes widened even more with that last statement, "No…"

After Cell spat out those words, something within Gohan snapped. Threatening his mother and Bulma was just crossing the line. "They have nothing to do with this…" Gohan whispered as an inner rage began to well up inside of him. Power that he didn't even know he had started appearing, multiplying his power dozens of times. The power he held within rose up. His anger started to boil as the thought of Cell murdering his mother and Bulma in cold blood engulfed him. He could not let that happen.

"No…."

Gohan power level spiked and his aura brightened.

"You…"

Goku saw Gohan's power rising at an unbelievable rate. He smiled and decided to push his son even further.

"See? I'm not even close to that strong! You are more than just my son. You are SON GOHAN! Now plant your feet. Grit your teeth. AND SHOW HIM WHAT YOU'RE MADE OF!"

"Won't…."

Gohan then poured every single ounce of power into his Kamehameha. The latent potential within bursting in flames of pure anger.

"LAY A FINGER ON THEM!"

Gohan roared with all of his might as the silhouette of an Oozaru appeared behind him. His Saiyan power being pushed to the limit.

"HAAAAAAAA!" Gohan's Kamehameha quickly overtook Cell's and was about hit him head on. Cell looked on in terror.

"What? How? WHERE IS ALL OF THIS POWER COMING FROM?"

Gohan slowly began to walk forward as the kamehameha wave engulfed Cell.

"What are you so afraid of Cell? Isn't this what you wanted? I warned you! I told you what would happen if you pushed me too far. But you didn't listen. You forced me to awaken my hidden power. And now I see that you're afraid. Because you know that I'm going to DESTROY YOU!"

As Gohan's blast hit Cell, his body began to vaporize bit by bit. Right down to the molecular level.

"GYAARRH! IM..POSSIBLE! It can't be! I'm PERFECT!"

And with that, Cell was completely eradicated. His body was erased from the world as Gohan's Kamehameha went up to space, making sure the blast didn't destroy the planet.

A large crater was formed from where the clash took place. Gohan had dropped back from his Super Saiyan 2 state to his base form due to exhaustion and using up all of his energy. He panted heavily as he dropped to the ground. A smile on his face.

"He… did it." Piccolo said in shock as he and the rest of the Z-Warriors looked on in wonder on how, with all of those injuries, he was able to defeat Cell who came back stronger than ever.

Goku looked on with Fatherly Pride from Otherworld, "You did, Gohan. I knew you could do it all along. I knew you always had it in you. I'm proud of you, my son."

"YES YES! WE'RE STILL ALIVE!" Yamcha yelled with glee.

Vegeta looked on with a smirk, "Hmph. Damn brat. Good job."

"I can't believe it! We're saved!"

"Hold on! How do we know Cell just won't regenerate again like last time?" Tien asked. He didn't want that green monster coming back.

"No, he's gone. I would have sensed him. Gohan vaporized every single cell." Piccolo confirmed.

"That's a relief."

"Gohan! That was amazing! Way to go kid!" Krillin congratulated with the unconscious Android 18 in his arms.

"We'll take you to Dende right away! He can heal you without any Senzu!" Yamcha picked up Gohan and began to carry him to the lookout. "Let's go!"

As the Z-Warriors flew to the lookout, Piccolo looked at Vegeta who hadn't moved an inch.

"I'll lend you a hand, Vegeta."

The Prince of all Saiyans scoffed, "Mind your own business. I don't need your help.'

Piccolo smirked, "Heh. Indeed." The Namekian then caught up with the others.

Vegeta looked down in gripped his fists in frustration.

"I was utterly beaten… by that Father and son. Curse you Kakarot… How dare you die like that?!"

He was too weak to avenge his own son. And he was defenseless and couldn't help when Gohan was in trouble. The thought of him giving up and falling to his own knees just wanted to make Vegeta throw up in disgust.

"I'll never fight again."

* * *

The warriors made it to the lookout and immediately asked Dende to heal Gohan. The young Guardian of Earth looked on in horror at Gohan's injuries.

"Gosh Gohan, those look terrible! Let me heal you up!"

Gohan chuckled, "Yeah I may have overdone it a little."

Once Dende healed Gohan and all of his injuries disappeared, the Saiyan Hybrid felt a drastic increase in his power level. It felt like he was more than twice as powerful than before. 'Must be because of a Zenkai boost. Saiyan anatomy is very convenient.'

Gohan pointed to the unconscious blonde android, "You should probably heal her up too. Spending all of that time inside of Cell isn't helpful for anybody."

Dende hesitated, "Isn't she the enemy though?"

"Don't worry! Krillin said that she wasn't a bad person. I trust his judgement. Besides if she tries anything then I can easily subdue her." Gohan reassured his little Namekian friend.

Dende nodded, "Right. I forgot how strong you've become."

Dende's hand glowed as he healed Android 18. After a few seconds, she opened her blue eyes and blinked in surprise. She immediately sat up and looked around to see to see all of the Z-Warriors.

"Dende, you better get away or she'll kill you!" Yamcha yelled.

"No she won't." Krillin replied with a sweat drop.

Android 18 stood up with caution, "W-Where am I? Where's Cell?!"

"You're on Kami's lookout. And you don't need to worry about Cell anymore. Gohan killed him."

She gasped, "Gohan?!" She turned to look at the Demi-Saiyan who had a sheepish grin on his face. "But… he's just a kid. And Cell was a monster. How could a kid ever kill something like _that_?"

"He's incredibly strong now! Stronger than all of us put together! You don't stand a chance against him! So you better not try anything!" Yamcha yelled all the way from the back of the lookout.

Krillin looked at his old friend with a deadpan, "Why are you saying that from all the way over there?"

"You should thank Krillin. He cared for you after Cell vomited you out." Piccolo said which caused Krillin to nervously smile as Android 18 gazed at him suspiciously.

"Well… I couldn't just _leave_ you there. Hehe" Krillin's eyes then shot down to the floor as he was too embarrassed to even look at the female Android.

A light bulb lit up in Gohan's head, "I get it! Krillin, you're in love with her, aren't you?"

"DON'T SAY THAT OUT LOUD YOU IDIOT!" Krillin screeched as he bonked Gohan on the head. Of course the punch didn't really do any damage to the Hybrid.

"You're not serious!" Yamcha yelled as his jaw dropped.

"But she's an Android! They beat us to a pulp remember?! They were planning on killing Goku for crying out loud!" Tien exclaimed.

"Hmph. Don't kid yourself. You think you have a chance with me, you shriveled shrimp?" That was the last thing Android 18 said before she flew away from the lookout.

"Hey! What's with her attitude?! She's looking to get clobbered!" Yamcha exclaimed.

"Not by you though." Tien remarked with a smug grin.

"Oh, shut up! You're acting as if you would have any chance against her either!"

Piccolo sighed, "Listen to me. Our first task is to turn the Dragon Balls to revive those who were killed."

"Oh, yes, right away!" Pop said as he went to go get the orbs. Once they were gathered, they summoned Shenlong.

"Whoa! Why did it suddenly get dark?" Android 18 turned back to the lookout to see Shenlong. "WH-WHAT IS THAT?"

"**State your wishes. I will only grant two!**" The mystical dragon stated.

"Please bring back to life everyone the Bio Android known as Cell killed!" Yamcha asked the dragon.

Shenlong's eyes glowed red, "**Done.**"

Trunks slowly opened his eyes and sat up, "What happened?"

"Ay Trunks! Welcome back to the land of the living!" Gohan exclaimed.

"H-He was dead?" Android 18 was hiding behind one of the pillars of the lookout as she watched the dragon grant their wish. "Impossible! People can't be brought back from the dead!"

"I don't feel Goku's Ki. It didn't work" Piccolo noticed.

"**You may have another wish. State it now.**"

"Can't you please bring back Son Goku somehow? We need him in this world!" Yamcha asked.

"**That cannot be. Son Goku has died and come back to life once before. Ask me another**."

Yamcha looked down sadly, "I'm sorry guys, I tried. But it looks like Goku can't come back. Damn it! There has to be another way!"

Krillin's eyes lit up, "There is! We can use the Dragon Balls on New Namek!"

"Oh yeah, that's right! Good thinking Krillin!" Gohan exclaimed.

"But how are we going to get there? We don't exactly know where it is." Tien noted.

"That's easy, we just zap straight there with wish number 2!" Yamcha replied.

"HEY! Don't I get a say in this?"

Everyone on the lookout heard a voice in their heads. They looked around but couldn't find anyone else there.

"Hi, everybody! It's me!"

"It's Goku!" Krillin yelled.

"Dad! What's going on?"

"I'm speaking to you guys from Otherworld, so I'll make it quick. You know, Bulma said something to me years ago that stuck with me. She told me I was like a magnet for all of the bad guys that were always popping up. And if you think about it, that's not really too far from the truth. Raditz, Nappa, and Vegeta came to Earth cuz of me. Freeza came to Earth cuz of me. And the Androids showed up cuz they were programmed to kill me. I get the feeling that Earth is going to get way more peaceful if I just stay where I am now. And King Kai agrees with me!

I'm gonna miss you guys, but don't worry! I'll be just fine up here! It's really not so bad and King Kai says they're going to give me special treatment on account of all the times I saved the Earth. Most people, and definitely bad guys just turn into spirits here. But they're going to let me keep my body. And if that's not enough, I won't ever get any older! And there are a bunch of old fighting masters here from before my time so it's not like I won't have plenty to do. And if not, I always got King Kai, Gregory and Bubbles to keep me company!"

When Gohan heard all of this, he felt like breaking down into tears, "Daddy… but it's my fault that you're dead!"

"I already told you, to not worry about that. You've already fulfilled your destiny by surpassing me and saving the Earth. I'm sorry Son… And tell your Mom I'm sorry… But you don't have to bring me back to life. Plus, you're more dependable than I ever was, anyway. Besides Son, you're so strong now, I have nothing left to teach you."

"But… that doesn't mean I don't need you!" Gohan exclaimed.

"I'm sorry guys, I'm out of time! But take care, okay! Live your lives to the fullest. And I'll see you again when you die! Oh and one more thing, Gohan. I know I already told you this, but I'm proud of you son. You made me feel like the happiest Father in the universe. But even though you've become so much more powerful, I want you to continue your training okay? Master Roshi once said that there is always somebody stronger. That means that no matter how good you get, there's always room for improvement. So keep training hard! You're a prodigy, son. More than I ever was. Don't let that talent go to waste. I know you want to be a scholar, but the Earth needs a Hero that they can rely on. I've already done my part. Now, it's your turn. Protect the life that I died protecting. I'm passing the baton to you. You better not slack off! Keep on getting stronger!

I know that your Mom probably wouldn't like this and would much rather have you study. But you have to decide for yourself for a change. You know what's important. I was never able to convince her. So you're going to have to figure that out on your own. But I believe you can do it. Just remember to stand up for yourself and hold your ground. I know you may doubt yourself and not believe that you have the potential to become even greater, but you do. You defeating Cell as proof of that."

Gohan listened to every word his Father said. And while some of it, he didn't believe at first, he decided to trust his Father's guidance. He nodded his head, "Alright! I'll do it for you Dad!"

"Goodbye!" And with that, Goku's will was passed on.

"Goku… old friend." Krillin said sadly as he looked up at the sky. "You know, he seemed pretty cheerful given the circumstances so I guess he's okay with how things turned out."

Yamcha nodded, "Yeah. I suppose he's always been laid back like that. Ever since he was a kid. I guess nothing's changed huh?"

Tien smiled sadly, "Yeah, you're right. And he's been rushing on ahead of us all of the years we've known him."

"There was no one else like him. He was always willing to show mercy, even to an enemy. And no matter how powerful he became, he valued his friends over anything else." Piccolo added as he remembered when Goku gave him a Senzu Bean after the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai.

"My Dad was always kind to everybody who met him. And he made me feel _brave_. Even when things were looking really bad. Thank you Dad. For everything."

"**Uhhh… You do know, I have been waiting for your second wish this whole time, right? Any day now!**" Shenlong said with a sweatdrop.

"Now what do we do?!"

"Decide quickly or the Dragon God will vanish."

"Well we could wish to be stinking rich!" Yamcha exclaimed.

"Are you for real right now?" Piccolo asked.

"Well you don't got any better ideas!"

"Hmmm…" Krillin looked up at the Dragon, "Shenlong! Could you turn Androids 17 and 18 back into humans?!"

"**Alas, their powers are too great and strange. My own powers cannot affect such creatures against their will.**"

"Oh darn! Then how about this… could you at least take the bombs out of their bodies?!"

"**Yes. It does not weaken them… or change the fundamental nature of their being… It is done. The bombs are no more. Fare you well.**"

Shenlong vanished and the dragon balls were scattered across the world. The sky returned to normal.

"Krillin why did you wish for that?" Trunks asked.

"I felt bad for them. Imagine having a bomb in your body!"

Gohan chuckled, "Man, you're such a sweet guy. Even after she blew you off, you still did something nice for her. It really shows how much you care for her."

Android 18 let out a silent gasp when she heard Gohan's word. 'The twerp's right…'

"I'm sorry you couldn't get the money you wanted, Yamcha." Krillin apologized to the former bandit.

"Can't you tell a joke when you hear one?! You think I'd use Shenlong for something that stupid?!"

"I wouldn't put it past you." Tien commented.

"HEY YOU BE QUIET!"

"Krillin I thought you liked #18. So why remove the bomb from #17?" Tien asked in curiosity as he and the others still remembered the beating that the Android gave them.

"Well, yeah… I did like her.. And I know 17 is the perfect guy for her. "

Piccolo grunted, "Is this what is known as love? I do not understand it…" Piccolo grumbled as he crossed his arms.

"YOU MORON!"

The Z-Warriors turned around to see Android 18 who had come out of her hiding spot, with a not so happy expression.

"18?! What did you hear?!" Krillin cried out in horror.

"Look. Nothing is going on with 17. He's my twin brother!"

"Brother?! But I thought-"

"I KNOW what you thought! It's disgusting! And if you're hoping if I'm suddenly going to like you because of some silly wish, you're sadly mistaken."

Android 18 was about to leave again, but she turned around, "Later." She then blasted off to who knows where.

"Hey! She said 'Later.' Maybe there's hope!" Yamcha exclaimed to Krillin.

"YOU REALLY THINK SO!?" Krillin yelled as he grabbed Yamcha by his shirt.

"Uhh.. well yeah. Of course you're gonna have some competition. She may be a monster, but she's a cute monster."

"I do not understand it… nor do I want to." Piccolo grumbled himself yet again.

The other laughed joyfully at the shenanigans.

"It's hard to feel hopeful… about anything without Goku." Krillin somberly said.

"I should be getting home. Chaozu must be worried about me. Our paths may not cross again in this lifetime. So take care." Tien began his final farewells.

"See ya man!" Yamcha said with a wave.

"Thank you for all of your help, Mr. Tienshienhan!" Gohan exclaimed.

Tien smirked, "You're the one who picked up our slack kid. If anything, we should be thanking you. Now keep that bright head in the clouds, and strong feet on the ground. I doubt this is the last time Earth will be in danger. We're going to need a Hero. Your Father already fulfilled his role. Now that he is gone, it's up to you. His will carries on within you. Never forget that."

"Yosh!" The Son of Goku replied, "I won't let you guys down!"

"Until we meet again. Oh and Trunks, good luck with saving your future. Take care."

Tien flew away, leaving the rest of the Z-Fighters thinking on what to do next.

"Well, I guess we'll get going too." Yamcha remarked.

"When are you going back to the Future, Trunks?" Gohan asked his fellow Saiyan Hybrid.

"Tomorrow. I'll get a good night's rest tonight."

"We'll see you off tomorrow then," Krillin said.

"Mr. Piccolo, are you going to live here on the lookout now?"

"That is my plan." The Namekian answered.

"Can I come over to visit sometimes?"

Piccolo smirked, "Of course, Kid. It will be my pleasure."

Gohan said his goodbyes to Dende and Mr. Popo and flew off with the rest. He and Krillin asked Trunks at what time he'll be leaving tomorrow before they all went their separate ways.

As Gohan was flying alone towards his humble abode in Mt. Paozu, he couldn't help but try to prepare himself for his greatest challenge yet. A challenge even greater than Cell.

'How am I going to break the news to Mom? Dad has already died once and he was gone for over a year and a half after the whole Namek fiasco. And how am I ever going to convince her to let me train after everything that just happened!?'

A face full of resolve then formed as Gohan flew on.

'"I have to. I promised Dad I would. If I give up now, it would be an insult to his memory. I am his Legacy. Thus, I _have_ to train. To keep the Earth safe and to realize my true potential. The power I felt in the final moments of me and Cell's clash was extraordinary. I want to be able to access that power and control it at will, in order to protect the Earth and all of the ones I care about. I will be this world's Hero. Just like my Father before me."

* * *

"NO! MY POOR GOKU! Why did you have to go and get yourself killed again?! I'm a widow again!" Chichi yelled as she cried waterfalls of tears and blew into a tissue.

"I'm so sorry Mom. It was my fault. We tried to bring him back, but he didn't want to come back. He said that the Earth would be safer without him." Gohan said as he tried to comfort his mother. Although he was really having a hard time. His grandfather, the Ox King went out to get some food while Gohan attempted to cheer Chichi up.

"So, your Father would rather be dead than live with his wife and children?!"

"What? No! It's not like that at all. He did it with our safety in mind. He wanted the best for all of us. Before he died, he mentioned us. All of us."

Chichi stopped crying momentarily to look at her son, "My… My Goku…"

Gohan nodded, "Yes. Your Goku. My Father. He died protecting all of us."

Chichi wiped away her tears, "Well, alright then. I just wished it didn't have to be this way. I wished you had more time to spend with your Father, you know?"

"Me too Mom… Me too."

Gohan then cleared his throat as he began the hardest part of his mission.

"Mom… there's also something that Dad asked me that you let me do. It was his dying wish."

"What is it sweetie?" By this time, all of her tears have completely dried.

"He asked if you could let me continue my training-"

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!"

Gohan cringed as she cut him off, "But Mom-"

"Don't _but mom_, me Mister! I never approved of your father or Piccolo training you! You weren't meant to be barbarians like them! You are supposed to be a scholar, not a delinquent. I saw your fight with Cell. That monster destroyed you! I couldn't believe that your Father would just let him pummel you like that. Oh he's so lucky that he's dead! If he was here right now, I would tear him a new one! I swear, your Father has always been a stupid idiot! Only with food and fighting on his mind. No common sense at all. And he wanted to turn you into a barbarian just like him-"

"ENOUGH!"

Chichi looked at her son dumbfounded. Gohan had never yelled at her like that before. And by the looks of it, he was not happy with anything she said.

"I will NOT let you disrespect my Father or Mr. Piccolo! If it wasn't for them and the other Z-Fighters, we wouldn't even be alive right now. You should know at least that much. And unlike _you_, they both saw the potential within me to do good. While you, on the other hand, only saw my potential to be a robotic school nerd who was only good for writing essays and solving equations! I'm sick of it! Have you ever even considered what I want? What I think is best for me? Probably not, because you feel so entitled to my future that you most likely didn't even think I had my own dreams and ambitions!

You force me to sit in this house and study books all day, and pass exams. For what? Explain to me, why is so important for me to get a PHD? To get a good job and make a lot of money? Well guess what?! Dad won more money than most people with Master's Degrees ever make in a damn Tenkaichi Budokai. And what did you do with that money? Spent it all! My Father and the other Z Warriors could easily enter the World Martials Tournament every time it comes back around and just molly whop their way to first place and win millions of Zeni!

Wanna know why they don't do that? Because they have _integrity_. What's the point in winning a Tournament with absolutely no challenge? They also don't see value in materialistic things. They rather train to make sure they are strong enough so that when the next threat comes, we all make it out alive! So guess what? Not only am is me getting a PHD not needed, but it's not even important in the grand scheme of things!"

Gohan took a deep breath as he did his best to calm himself down, 'Control your emotions Gohan. Remember what happened last time.'

Chichi had a blank face as she stared at her son in shock. No one had ever yelled at her like that, not even her father, the Ox King.

"I'm sorry for raising my voice. But you wouldn't have listened to me otherwise. Listen Mom… My father, your _husband_, saw greatness in me. More than I could ever see for myself. He was the only one who believed I had the power to defeat Cell. Even when everyone was against him, he still held firm in his faith. Now if you want to call him a barbaric idiot who only cares about fighting, whatever. That doesn't really matter here. What matters here is that my Father was a good man. The greatest I ever known. Without him putting his faith in me and motivating me, I wouldn't have realized my true potential and unlocked my hidden power. And I wouldn't have defeated Cell. And we would all be dead-"

"Wait a minute! YOU beat Cell?" Chichi asked with a shocked expression.

"Uhhh… yeah?"

"No, I don't believe it! When I was watching on TV, you were getting pummelled. There is no way, my precious innocent little boy had the strength to defeat that abomination-"

"I am _not _innocent, Mother." Gohan said bluntly.

"Wh-What do you mean? You're my precious little boy. You wouldn't hurt a fly. You don't like violence. The thought made you jump in fear!"

Gohan sighed, "Unfortunately, the signal went off and you didn't see the whole fight. But… I was pushed so much, that I was forced to unlock a power that was too great. And I got out of control…"

"No! I don't believe it. You can't possibly be that strong! You're only 10 years old… I-"

"Looks like I'm going to have to show you." Gohan suddenly stated.

He gripped his fists and yelled with all of his might as the whole Earth shook due to his rising power. His aura glew gold as his hair spiked up all the way and matched the color of his aura with one bang hanging down. Blue electricity sparked around him as his eyes turned teal. His whole demeanor changed as the son of Goku stared directly at his Mother's eyes.

All of the Z-Warriors instantly felt the Ki and wondered why Gohan was powering up. Was there already a new threat? Was Cell back?

"This is the form I used to kill Cell. It's true ascended state of a Super Saiyan. Or as I like to call it, Super Saiyan 2. I am the first and only to achieve this form. Not even my Father or Vegeta, who are Pure Blooded Saiyans, were able to acquire this magnificent power."

As Chichi looked on at her son, her doubts of him defeating Cell started dwindling. Even though she wasn't really a Master at sensing Ki, she could tell that Gohan's powers dwarfed even her husband's. It was just so ridiculous. How could a boy like him have so much power?

Gohan was shocked at his own power as well, 'Wow… The Zenkai even did more than I thought? Was it even the Zenkai? I did feel like I awakened a hidden power within me when I finished Cell off with my Kamehameha. This is just ridiculous. I feel as though at this level, I don't even need Super Saiyan 2 to beat Cell. Just my regular Super Saiyan state.'

"G-Gohan, what is this? Is that really you?" Chichi asked nervously as she took a step back.

"Yes, mother. It is me. This is the power that Dad saw within me. This is the power that saved us all. Without this power, I wouldn't have saved you all." Gohan's eyes frowned as he remembered what Cell said to him during his Kamehameha clash.

"Mom, when I was fighting Cell, during our last struggle, he said something. Something that made me _snap_. He said that after he was done killing, that he was going to kill everyone that I loved and cared about. He then had the gaul to threaten you and Bulma. That made me so angry. Angrier than I ever had been before. And I think I know why. Its because unlike me, Dad, and the rest of the Z-Warriors, you and Bulma aren't fighters. You have no way of defending yourselves if Cell were to attack you. And it just irritated me that such a monster would stoop so low to hurt innocent defenseless people who had no say in the battle. It's not fair! So something awakened within me and with Dad motivating me, I was able to finish Cell for good.

And then that got me thinking. Now with Dad gone, I'm the one who's going to have to fill his shoes. He passed the baton onto me."

"Baton? What do you mean, Gohan?" Chichi asked as she was now indulged into Gohan's story. Him telling her how Cell threatened her life sent a shiver of fear down her spine.

"It means that I have to be the Savior of Earth now. I have to step up and protect you all from whatever threat lies in store for me. I have to take the burden. Because if I don't… who will?"

"But baby, you're just a little boy. You can't-"

"I know that I'm young mom! But hey, life isn't fair sometimes. But my age doesn't matter when it comes to protecting the planet. How old was Dad when he beat Demon King Piccolo? And how old was I when the Saiyans invaded? I'm younger than when Dad started his journey and I'm already stronger than what he is as an adult. If I can achieve this level of power at this age, who knows how good I will be in my prime! I can't afford to waste this chance. If I just straight up stop training, my power is gonna decrease, my senses are gonna become dull, I'm going to be rusty, and I won't be prepared for when the planet is in danger again! And then we'll all be screwed! Why? Because you decided that studying is more important protecting the FREAKING EARTH!"

Gohan yelled that last bit, as some of the furniture moved and glass and plates cracked due to the force of Gohan's ki. Gohan noticed this and sighed as he dropped back to his base form.

"Sorry about that… I still haven't gotten used to controlling my rage in Super Saiyan 2. But yeah, I think you get the point."

Chichi nodded, "Listen Gohan, I know it may seem that I'm a bossy and naggy mother. But the truth is, I've always just wanted the best for you. I've seen the dangers that your Father's lifestyle can bring. And I didn't want that for you. I wanted for you to live a peaceful life. And becoming a scholar was the best way to ensure that. But when Goku saw your potential of being a fighter which was even greater than his… I got scared. I was scared that you would just become a clone of your Father and live the same dangerous life he did. And I don't want that for you! I believed that all of the fighter should be left for Goku, and your job should be to study and live a happy life!"

Gohan walked and hugged his mother which caused her to jump in surprise, "But that's the thing mom. We can't just always leave it to Dad. He's not here anymore. It's just me. I'm currently the strongest person in the world and probably the whole universe. I _have_ to take advantage of that. Power like that shouldn't just go to waste. So please, Mom… you have to allow me to do this. I'm begging you. It was my Father's last wish…"

Chichi sobbed as she nodded, finally conceding to her son.

"Okay Gohan, I'll allow it. But you have to promise me something."

"Sure, anything, mom!"

"Please don't just become your Father's clone. Life isn't all about fighting, you know? If there's one thing that your Father failed at, it was taking time to be a family man and enjoying the other good things in life. I want you to learn from his mistakes and do better. Study, go outside and explore. Meet new people. Find new places. Make friends that are at least _close_ to your age and are 100% human. Find a pretty girl you like. But most of all, do what you wanna do with your life. Not what your Father wants to do with your life. Can you do that for me sweetie?"

Gohan nodded, "Alright Mom! I promise, I'll do it. I won't let you down."

Chichi smiled and patted his head, "That's my little Saiyan Warrior.

* * *

It had been a full week since the end of the Cell Games. The aftermath of the decisive battle had finally died down, and our Heroes were resting after such a stressful turn of events.

Gohan and the others went to Capsule Corp to see Trunks off. The lavender Haired son of Vegeta thanked everyone for all of their help and claimed that he was forever in their debt. The Z Fighters said that it was not a big deal and countered saying that if it wasn't for Trunks, they all would have gotten killed anyway.

Gohan offered to come with Trunks to the future to help him defeat the evil Androids. However Trunks told his fellow Saiyan Hybrid that he has already done enough and that this was something Trunks had to do alone. Gohan was already the savior of his own timeline, so Trunks argued to let him be the Hero instead. Gohan avenged Goku, so he should let Trunks avenge Future Gohan. It was only fair.

After Trunks departed, Gohan went back home to continue his training… which leads us to now.

"Gohan, how long do you intend to keep that look?"

Chichi stared at her son with a frown. He was currently in his Mastered Super Saiyan form, (Super Saiyan Grade 4 OR Super Saiyan Full Power), with his Gi that Piccolo made for him which was patched up by Chichi.

"Since Dad died, I've been doing a lot of thinking. I thought that the best way to continue training is to continue where my Dad left off. I still need a little more time to truly get used to the Super Saiyan transformation. To the point where it feels 100% natural just like my base form. Then I'll start on perfecting my Super Saiyan 2 state. Trust me, Mom. I have my reasons."

Chichi huffed, "Well, suit yourself. But for the record, I much prefer your normal look to this gaudy Super Saiyan business."

"Y-Yeah, I'm sorry…"

"You know… You get bigger with each passing day. And you look more like your Father, too."

"You think so?"

"Your fashion choices are yours to make… provided you keep up with your studies. Understand?"

"Yes, ma'am! Thank you!"

Gohan walked out of the house and decided to begin his training.

"I'm not sure where to start. Maybe Piccolo cna give me some good advice."

Gohan flew towards the lookout at high speeds. There found his first teacher meditating. He noticed his student's presence and opened his eyes.

"What do you need, kid?"

Gohan rubbed the back of his head, "Um, Piccolo, there's something I wanted to talk to you about…"

"Sure… yeah, but why are you still a Super Saiyan?" Piccolo had wondered that ever since he and Goku came out of the Room of Spirit and Time. Doesn't constantly being in the form drain your energy?

"Huh? Oh, I'm just continuing where I left off with Dad's training."

"You still feel responsible for your Dad's death, huh?" Piccolo said sympathetically.

"Yeah, that's part of it. I need to make sure I'm strong enough to protect the Earth now. That's why I'm still a Super Saiyan. I want my body to get used to this form a bit more. And then I'll be able to handle Super Saiyan 2 better."

"Super Saiyan 2? Oh you mean your ascended state." Piccolo then crossed his arms and hummed, "I see. So it looks like I didn't need to worry after all."

"Huh?" Gohan asked in confusion.

"Since Freeza showed up even after we believed he was dead, I thought I always had to be on my guard. But if Cell or some new Androids show up, you're the only one who has what it takes to beat them. So I planned on giving you a push in the right direction when you needed it… But… I guess you didn't really need me to do that."

Gohan's eyes widen in realization, "Ooh, so that's what you mean. It makes me happy to hear you have so much faith in me."

"Hmph… So, you got a more concrete training regimen planned? Just being a Super Saiyan isn't going to cut it, you know." Piccolo asked, wondering what the strongest man in the world thinks he has to do to become stronger.

"Yeah, it's just… I still don't know what else I can do."

"Hmm… I guess that's understandable. You pretty much did all you could in the Room of Spirit and Time."

"Do you have any ideas?"

"With regards to your strength… you're probably as strong as you can get right now, so you won't see much rapid improvement in terms of raw power. What you lack… is mental fortitude."

"Mental fortitude?" Gohan asked while tilting his head.

"Your Dad, he knows how to remain focused in battle. You, on the other hand, you're still too emotional." Piccolo elaborated.

"You might be right about that… If I had focused more, I could have prevented Cell from self-destructing. So… what should I do?" The Young Saiyan Hybrid.

"Right… You might not like this suggestion, but… Why don't you try training with Vegeta? He's the strictest guy around when it comes to emotion. And not just with others, but with himself too. He might be able to provide some insight into the mental aspects of combat." The Namekian said.

"Understood! I'll go ask Vegeta if he can help me out!"

* * *

"Man, I still can't get over how big Bulma's house is!" Gohan exclaimed as he entered Capsule Corp. He made his way towards the lab and found Bulma working on a project. When she looked up, she saw him standing in the doorway.

"Well if it isn't our Hero! Hey, Gohan, what can I do for ya? You want something to drink or eat?" The young beautiful blue-haired scientist asked.

"No need, Bulma! I'm just looking for Vegeta. Mind telling me where he is? Your house is pretty big."

Bulma scoffed, "Oh that _guy_! Yeah, he's been sulking for a week now. Saying something about, 'I'll never fight again!' "

"Huh? He said that?" Gohan asked with shock. The Prideful Prince of Saiyans was giving up fighting? Impossible!

"Yeah, I don't know what got into him. I guess Goku's death hit him really hard. More than we expected. He feels as though there is no point in fighting anymore if his rival is gone. You should spar with him! Get him back into his training mood. Just make sure to go easy on him okay Junior?"

Gohan chuckled, "Don't worry, I just need to ask him help for my training that's all. But if he wants to sapr, I'll be happy to!"

Bulma clapped her hands, "Great! You should find him in the gravity room. That is where he spends most of his time. Go down the hall to the right and make two lefts. You can't miss it!"

"Okay, thanks Bulma!"

"No problem kiddo! Thank YOU for saving out butts."

"Yeah yeah, it was no big deal."

Gohan found the gravity room and entered. There he found Vegeta standing in the middle with his back facing Gohan. He had his usual Saiyan Battle armor on.

"What do you want, Gohan? You don't usually visit me." The Prince asked.

Gohan smirked. Vegeta turned around and saw the smug grin which annoyed him.

"What's so funny?"

"That's the second time you ever called me by my actual name. The first time was when you apologized to me for being a liability against Cell." The Saiyan Hybrid replied.

"I can call you Kakabrat if you want!" Vegeta growled, "Anyways, what are you doing here?"

"Would you mind fighting me so I can get stronger? My Dad died because of me… I need to get stronger so something like that doesn't happen again! It's up to me to maintain peace now. I need to protect Earth in my Dad's place."

Vegeta sucked his teeth, "Don't be ABSURD! You think Kakarot's dead because of YOU? YOU'RE the one that's going to replace him? You arrogant, spoiled little brat!"

"Huh? B-But I-"

"Damn it! I wasn't planning on fighting ever again, but I've changed my mind now! Come at me! I'll beat the arrogance out of you!"

Vegeta powered up and transformed to Super Saiyan Grade 2.

Gohan smirked, "You're still using that form? Alright then…" Gohan powered up as well.

Vegeta was shocked at his Power Level, 'I-It's as if he's stronger than what he was against Cell! But, he's just a regular Super Saiyan! He's not even in his ascended form! That can't be right!'

Vegeta then took his stance, "I'm going to see if you have what it takes to fill in for Kakarot!"

Gohan got into his stance as well, "Fine by me."

"What? You're not going to use the form you beat Cell with?"

"Don't need to." Gohan replied with a confident smirk.

"You brat!" Vegeta yelled as he charged at the Demi-Saiyan. He aimed a kick at the boy's head, only for Gohan to casually dodge it. Vegeta threw a flurry of punches but to no avail as Gohan evaded every single one.

"Damn it! Why can't I hit you!"

"Because you're too slow!" Gohan yelled as he blocked another kick.

"Oh yeah, then dodge this!" Vegeta sent an energy blast volley against Gohan. With incredible speed, he was able to dodge all of the blasts. This caused Vegeta to grunt in annoyance.

"Don't you dare hold anything back! Release the power you used to blow Cell to pieces!"

"But if I do, wouldn't you get blown to pieces?" Gohan asked nonchalantly.

"No- I mean-, just ascend!"

"I don't think I will. You're still using a useless form!" Gohan said.

"Useless form?" Vegeta asked, "What are you talking about?!"

"That so-called 'ascended' form you're using, otherwise known as Super Saiyan Grade 2 is only an incomplete form. It's not the true ascended state. The problem with you is that you're trying to directly increase your raw power and speed and with new forms that dramatically sap your energy. If I were you, I would just focus on mastering the initial Super Saiyan grade 1 state, which increase both power and speed, along with efficiency, and stamina use."

Gohan then flew straight at Vegeta in the blink of an eye and punched him right in the gut, causing Vegeta to drop back to his base form.

'I- I didn't even see him coming. He's Kakarot's kids alright… It makes me sick how much he reminds me of him..'

Gohan helped Vegeta up and gave him a bottle of water. He then walked back and began to power up once again.

"And once you've mastered Super Saiyan"

Gohan raised his fists, "HAAAAAAA!"

Gohan transformed into Super Saiyan 2, "This is what you should aim for. The true ascension of Super Saiyan. The best of both worlds. Super Saiyan 2."

Vegeta gawked at the amount of power Gohan was emitting, "How…. How did you gain such power? What is your secret, Gohan?"

Gohan powered down to Mastered Super Saiyan, "My Dad told me this while we trained in the Room of Spirit and Time. He said that Power comes in response to a need. Not a desire. _You_ have to create that need." Gohan looked at his hands, "I have people that I want to protect. People that I care about. And the innocent who can't defend themselves. It's my job to protect the people who can't protect themselves. When Cell threatened to hurt my own mother, I snapped and drew the inner power within to finish him off for good."

Gohan looked at Vegeta in the eyes, "Vegeta, you have a wife and a son. You may not want to admit it, but I know you love them. So fight for them. Protect them. And trust me, you will find the strength you _need_. Not the strength you desire."

Vegeta stared at Gohan silently for a few moments before he grunted.

"While you are his son, you and Kakarot are very different. You can never become like him."

Gohan frowned but agreed nonetheless, 'Yeah, Vegeta's right… I can't define who I am based on who my Dad was… I-I need to do some serious soul-searching. I'd better stay a Super Saiyan a little longer. Mom's not going to be happy about it, though…'

Gohan smiled, "Well thanks for the spar, Vegeta! You've really helped me out. And you're right. I'm not Kakarot or Goku."

Vegeta raised his eyebrows, "Oh, so who are you then?"

Gohan thought for a moment before he replied.

"Son Gohan: A Warrior Beyond Goku"

* * *

**A/N: A/N: **

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**Here's an idea that's been in the back of my mind for like 7 months. Tell me if you guys think this should be continued. Review and follow/favorite if you liked what you read.**

**In loving memory of Kobe Bean Bryant (1978-2020)**

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**Next time on Gohan's Journey!**

**Chapter 2: Bojack Unbound**


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